U.S. rapper Kanye West has arrived in Moscow for the birthday celebrations of fashion designer Gosha Rubchinsky.
The news followed rumors last month that West will perform a concert in Moscow.
Western artists have mostly stopped performing in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which led to massive U.S. and European sanctions on Moscow, as well as travel restrictions to the country.
Kanye West, who has stirred controversy with his political statements in the United States and was recently accused of praising Adolf Hitler, has expressed admiration for President Vladimir Putin in the past.
"Kanye West is already in Moscow! This is great news, he is staying in the heart of the capital," the state TASS news agency quoted Russian television presenter Yana Rudkovskaya as saying on social media.
But Luzhniki Stadium, where he was rumored to perform, told state media it does not have information on possible concerts by the famous rapper.
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